U.S. patent application number 14/192657 was filed with the patent office on 2014-08-28 for snow removal apparatus and related methods.
The applicant listed for this patent is Quirky, Inc.. Invention is credited to Nicholas OXLEY, Aaron SAXTON, Laura SINK.
Application Number | 20140237729 14/192657 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51386619 |
Filed Date | 2014-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140237729 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SAXTON; Aaron ; et
al. |
August 28, 2014 |
SNOW REMOVAL APPARATUS AND RELATED METHODS
Abstract
An exemplary aspect comprises an apparatus comprising: a brush
component comprising a handle on a first end of a shaft and a brush
on a second end of the shaft; and a shovel component removably
connected to the brush component; wherein the brush is at least
partially enclosed within the shovel component when the shovel
component is connected to the brush component, and wherein the
brush is exposed when the shovel component is disconnected from the
brush component.
Inventors: |
SAXTON; Aaron; (New York,
NY) ; SINK; Laura; (New York, NY) ; OXLEY;
Nicholas; (New York, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Quirky, Inc. |
New York |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51386619 |
Appl. No.: |
14/192657 |
Filed: |
February 27, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61769877 |
Feb 27, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
7/116 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V 33/0084 20130101;
B60S 3/045 20130101; E01H 5/02 20130101; B25F 1/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
7/116 |
International
Class: |
B25F 1/02 20060101
B25F001/02 |
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising: a brush component comprising a handle
on a first end of a shaft and a brush on a second end of said
shaft; and a shovel component removably connected to said brush
component; wherein said brush is at least partially enclosed within
said shovel component when said shovel component is connected to
said brush component, and wherein said brush is exposed when said
shovel component is disconnected from said brush component.
2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said handle comprises one or
more reflectors.
3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said handle comprises one or
more flashlights.
4. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein at least one of said one or
more flashlights is removable.
5. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein at least one of said one or
more flashlights has a first mode in which a white light is
activated, and a second mode in which a blinking red light is
activated.
6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said shaft has four convex
sides.
7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said shovel component
comprises an opening configured to accept said shaft on three
sides, and configured on a fourth side to accept said brush.
8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said shaft comprises two or
more collapsible components.
9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said shovel component is
removably connected to said brush component via one or more button
pins.
10. A method of operating the apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
disconnecting said brush component from said shovel component;
removing snow or ice using said brush; and reconnecting said brush
component to said shovel component.
11. A method as in claim 10, further comprising using said shovel
component connected to said brush component to remove snow or ice.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/769,877, filed Feb. 27,
2013, entitled "Snow Removal Apparatus and Related Methods." The
entire contents of the above-referenced application are
incorporated herein by reference.
INTRODUCTION
[0002] An exemplary apparatus embodiment comprises a shovel, brush,
and flashlight combined into one compact design. A user may extend
the handle to form a full-sized shovel, or pop the handle out
completely to use a snow brush. The ergonomic handle of an
exemplary embodiment contains a flashlight (for example, an LED
flashlight), which may serve as either a light source or emergency
beacon. The LED flashlight may have two settings: white light for
visibility, and blinking red light for an emergency beacon. An
exemplary embodiment is collapsible for compact storage.
[0003] An exemplary aspect comprises an apparatus comprising: a
brush component comprising a handle on a first end of a shaft and a
brush on a second end of the shaft; and a shovel component
removably connected to the brush component; wherein the brush is at
least partially enclosed within the shovel component when the
shovel component is connected to the brush component, and wherein
the brush is exposed when the shovel component is disconnected from
the brush component.
[0004] In one or more exemplary apparatus embodiments: (1) the
handle comprises one or more reflectors; (2) the handle comprises
one or more flashlights; (3) at least one of the one or more
flashlights is removable; (4) at least one of the one or more
flashlights has a first mode in which a white light is activated,
and a second mode in which a blinking red light is activated; (5)
the shaft has four convex sides; (6) the shovel component comprises
an opening configured to accept the shaft on three sides, and
configured on a fourth side to accept the brush; (7) the shaft
comprises two or more collapsible components; and (8) the shovel
component is removably connected to the brush component via one or
more button pins.
[0005] Another exemplary aspect may comprise a method of operating
an apparatus, comprising: disconnecting the brush component from
the shovel component; removing snow or ice using the brush; and
reconnecting the brush component to the shovel component.
[0006] In one or more exemplary method embodiments: the shovel
component connected to the brush component is used to remove snow
or ice.
[0007] Further aspects, details, and embodiments will be apparent
from the drawings and the description below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIGS. 1 and 2 depict an exemplary apparatus embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates several exemplary features of
embodiments.
[0010] FIG. 4 depicts a user-side view of an exemplary
embodiment.
[0011] FIGS. 5-7 depict additional views of exemplary
embodiments.
[0012] FIGS. 8-13 depict exemplary usage of one or more exemplary
embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being removed
from storage, in a collapsed form.
[0014] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used as
a shovel, to remove snow from underneath a vehicle.
[0015] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used
as a scraper, to remove ice or snow from a vehicle windshield.
[0016] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used
(with the brush removed from the shovel head) as a snow brush on a
vehicle.
[0017] FIG. 12 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment with a
removable flashlight component being removed from the handle.
[0018] FIG. 13 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used
as a hazard warning device.
[0019] FIGS. 14 and 15 depict exemplary embodiments without
flashlight components.
[0020] FIGS. 16-24 depict various perspectives of exemplary
embodiments with no flashlight component.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0021] An exemplary apparatus embodiment is depicted in FIG. 1. In
this exemplary embodiment, a shovel head (1) comprises an opening
20 that accepts a bristle block shaft (3). In an exemplary
embodiment, the opening 20 is configured as shown in FIG. 2,
wherein shaft (3) has four convex sides, and an upper portion of
opening 20 has the same shape (on three sides) as shaft (3), to
enable shaft (3) to fit securely into opening 20, while a lower
portion of opening 20 is rectangular (on three sides), and
configured to accept brush bristles (5) attached to bristle block
shaft (3). Bristle block shaft (3) may be secured in opening 20 via
one or more legged button pins (4). A block cap (2) may be affixed
to the shovel end of bristle block shaft (3). Alternatively, the
bristle block may be one piece--with no separate cap.
[0022] A second shaft (6) may be inserted into bristle block shaft
(3), and secured, in an extended position, with one or more legged
button pins (4). Shaft (6) may be fully inserted into bristle block
shaft (3) in order to make the apparatus more compact, for
storage.
[0023] A handle (15) may be provided on one end of shaft (6). In
the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, handle (15) is a
two-piece handle, and further comprises an (LED) flashlight
component. The flashlight component may comprise an LED (7), a lens
(8), a reflector (11), a battery (10) (e.g., a AA battery), and a
battery housing (12). The flashlight component also may comprise a
power button cover (13), a flashlight casing (14) comprising an A
component and a B component (see FIG. 1), and a removable cap
(9).
[0024] Exemplary materials for the above-described components are
listed in the Table below. As those skilled in the art will
understand, these materials are listed as examples only, and any
suitable materials may be used without departing from the scope of
the aspects and embodiments described herein.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE PART EXEMPLARY MATERIAL Shovel head (1)
Polycarbonate (PC) - Black MT 11006 Block cap (2) Polypropylene
(PP) or PC - Teal MT 11006 Bristle block shaft (3) PC - Black
MT11006 Legged Button Pins (4) Spring steel Bristles (5) Nylon
Shaft (6) Aluminum or Stainless Steel Removable cap (9) PP - Teal
MT11006 Power button cover (13) Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)
Flashlight casing (14) A: PP - Textured; B: PP = Matte Handle (15)
PP - MT11006
[0025] Additional details of exemplary apparatus embodiments are
depicted in FIG. 3, which illustrates (310) that the removable
handle doubles as a brush and that an LED flashlight in the handle
also may be removable; (320) that the apparatus may be collapsed
into a compact form for easy storage; and (330) that the apparatus
may comprise a wide shovel.
[0026] FIG. 4 depicts a user-side view of bristles (5), opening 20,
and bristle block shaft (3) of an exemplary embodiment.
[0027] FIGS. 5-7 depict additional views of exemplary
embodiments.
[0028] FIGS. 8-13 depict exemplary usage of one or more exemplary
embodiments.
[0029] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being removed
from storage, in a collapsed form.
[0030] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used as
a shovel, to remove snow from underneath a vehicle.
[0031] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used
as a scraper, to remove ice or snow from a vehicle windshield.
[0032] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used
(with the brush removed from the shovel head) as a snow brush on a
vehicle.
[0033] FIG. 12 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment with a
removable flashlight component being removed from the handle.
[0034] FIG. 13 shows an exemplary apparatus embodiment being used
as a hazard warning device. In this usage, the LED flashlight (for
example, with the red light blinking) may be used to signal other
drivers of a roadside hazard.
[0035] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, some exemplary embodiments may
have, for example, reflector components in the handle, instead of
flashlight components. Other embodiments may use handles with
neither reflector nor flashlight components. When no flashlight
component is used, related components such as battery housing (12)
may likewise be omitted.
[0036] FIGS. 16-24 depict various perspectives of exemplary
embodiments with no flashlight component. Those skilled in the art
will understand that various connections may be used to attach the
reflector(s) to the handle--for example, a screw connection, or a
snap-in connection.
[0037] While certain exemplary aspects and embodiments have been
described herein, many alternatives, modifications, and variations
will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly,
exemplary aspects and embodiments set forth herein are intended to
be illustrative, not limiting. Various modifications may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
[0038] For example, the cross-sectional shape of the bristle block
shaft is not limited to that depicted in the drawings, and may be
any shape that enables connection with a suitable shovel head.
Also, a handle light source in exemplary embodiments may be of any
suitable type, and is not limited to LED flashlights. The shaft may
be anodized or powder coated.
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